1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document processing method and system, which, for example, compile output data generated by various programs such as document processing programs and image editing programs into one document and provide capabilities to edit the document. More particularly, it relates to a document processing method and system for a system consisting of an information processing unit—such as a personal computer—and a printer.
2. Background of the Invention
Since structures defining data such as characters, tables, and images and operations for editing the data vary with the kind of data, various application programs are provided to accommodate different kinds of data. Users use different applications according to kinds of data: they use character processing programs to edit characters, spread sheet programs to edit tables image editing programs to edit images, and so on.
In this way, it is common practice for users to use a different application program for each kind of data. However, a document created by a user generally consists of two or more kinds of data such as characters and tables, characters and images, and so on instead of one kind of data such as characters only, tables only, or images only. Consequently, when creating a document containing two or more kinds of data, the user must print data on each application using a print function of the application and combine the resulting prints in a desired order.
There is a class of program called an office suite which combines various applications into a single integrated application. Some office suites provide the capability to combine data generated by various applications into one document. By using such an integrated application, a user can compile data created on individual applications into a desired document by means of a particular application contained in the integrated application.
However, when combining prints produced by various applications into a desired document, in order, for example, to number its pages, the user must print out all necessary data and print a compiled document on a trial basis to determine the page numbers to be assigned to the final document. Then, by using each application, the user must enter the determined page numbers in the pages (called logical pages or original pages) of the originals created on the respective application. Even if an application program has the capability to number pages, the user must still specify a page number after any discontinuity. Also, if pages of the desired document are rearranged, the user must reassign page numbers accordingly. Besides, even in the case of a format change which simply involves, for example, merging two or more original pages into one page of printed matter (called a physical page or print page) or changing from simplex printing to duplex printing, without changes in data content, the user must edit and print the pages again using the appropriate application.
In this way, since different applications can manage only different kinds of data, the user must provide interfaces between applications manually. This requires a great deal of labor from the user, resulting in reduced productivity. Furthermore, manual intervention, a lot of which is involved, is prone to errors.
On the other hand, when creating a desired document using an integrated application, various data can be laid out as they are without printing them out. This does not require so much labor as when creating a desired document by combining prints. However, applications for editing and creating various data are limited to those contained in the integrated application and desired applications are not always available. Besides, the desired document created by the integrated application is a single document file and is edited, output, or otherwise managed on a file-by-file basis. Therefore, if the user wants to format part of the document file, there are many restrictions due to applications capabilities. For example, the user must reformat each differently formatted part and print it again. This requires a lot of labor and is no different in low productivity from the method described above.